Being honest vs. brutally honest...?

I think that 'being honest' is telling the truth when asked. Being brutally honest, to me, is blurting out the truth every chance you get. For example:

honest:

-'Does this make me look fat?'

+'A little bit, yes, but you still look great!'

brutally honest:

-'Hi!'

+'You look exceptionally fat today.'

You see what I mean?

Of course, either way could be taken as either if the situation was right, for example:

honest:

-'Hey!'

+'Hey, you might want to fix your hair...'

brutally honest:

-'Hey, how does my hair look?'

+'Like you got electrocuted and then applied a whole bottle of gel...'

Well the other day a girl walked up to me who was a friend of my friend (Who I've never met before or done anything mean to) and told me she didn't like me and I pissed her off and then smiled and said 'I'm just a brutally honest person' I think I can say she was an a'hole and she left me wondering what I'd done or what on earth spurred her to say that randomly.

I think you overstep the boundary when you say something that can hurt someone without being asked to say it, for example an honest person would have either avoided me or only said they didn't like me when it came up in a question.

Being honest is a good trait

Being brutally honest is usually an excuse for people who just want to be an a'hole while making themselves feel like they're sporting a good and admired trait.

Looks: I don't think anyone is completely satisfied with their looks, but I think I am pretty. I try to embrace myself, and be confident. I am skinny though, and would like to be curvier. Personality: I have a large sense of humor, and a winning personality. I am generally a nice person, and have a lot of friends. I will get feisty though if someone pushes my limits. I am also honest, and can keep a secret. I can have a big mouth at times though, which can get me in trouble. I'm also proud of myself that I have never had a problem with drugs, or alcohol. I 'm sober, and I think that is the key to success.

It depends on the situation. If you ask for there advice and tell them to be honest, then you should expect anything they might say. If they just go out of their way to be mean and tell you something and say I am just being honest then that is when they have cross the line in my opinion.

when they say the truth in a horrible way e.g.

being honest is when you say something like 'i don't think that's right' and being an as*hole is saying 'you're an idiot'

the line is very thin but you have to be careful because the truth hurts sometimes

people should try not to offend the person

just make them realize the truth in a non viscous way

They are being honest when their honesty has a benefit, such as if someone wants to know how they look in a dress and you honestly say that it doesn't suit them, but being a jerk would be giving their opinion when it wasn't asked in that situation, or saying it in a really mean way, or if there is nothing the person can do to fix it, like maybe if they are already at their wedding, you don't want to be telling them that the dress doesn't suit them

Not much good is done with using just a hammer to belt out some truth, but you know what works better? Is truth mixed with grace!

One crosses the line when any message of truth is down in unrighteous anger and in a spirit of hate! This kind of outburst usually just causes the receiver to become enraged himself! So what good does it do in the long run, crossing lines in this manner somehow just creates barriers... Good question, and important for Christians to see as well as non Christians. I am answering for the sake of both sides of the line!

God bless! :))

It would be easier to answer this questions with some kind of example.

I would say, from personal experience, and the questions I ask myself before I say something is the following:

1) Am I telling this person because they need to know, or because I just need it off my chest?

2) How would I feel if I were in their position? Would I perceive it as confrontational and unnecessary? Or just an honest person, with good intentions behind it?

Good question!

The intent. Are you being honest to help the person or hurt them?

If you say "can I be brutally honest" you are asking permission to be unnecessarily mean. The intent isn't for the person to improve or get better, it's for them to be hurt.

I think you become an asshole as soon as you start giving your honest opinion when it's not really necessary or appropriate. Like, if you're with a group of people and your friend asks you to hand him a beer, and as you do, you say, "Here you go. And you're girlfriend's make-up makes her look like a whore."

Stuff life that.